The Baltimore Grill: Bob Turk

The longtime WJZ personality on Baltimore's snow daze, storm chasing, and his message to fans.

By Max Weiss - July 2008

-Photo by David Colwell

Three things all Baltimoreans can count on: death, taxes, and Bob Turk. For 35 years, the avuncular meteorologist has delivered the weather—warmly, you might say—and made us feel like a member of his family. Below, we get Turk's forecast for The Baltimore Grill.

What is the best advice you ever got?If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.

What was your favorite Smalltimore moment?I was in Mexico in a small village, and some guy yells, "Are you Bob Turk?"

Since you're our cover boy, tell us your favorite way to eat crabs:I usually just grab the biggest one I can and begin my dissection.

Wow, 35 years on the air! To what do you attribute your TV longevity?Total love of weather!

Being a weatherman is like being a closer in baseball, right? People only notice when you screw up. . . Most screw-ups are in my favor—that is, I predict rain and it doesn't. People love the sun so they forget the bad forecast.

Dan Rather grabbed a telephone poll in a hurricane. What's your most macho weather heroic?Saving lives when a tornado was in Cecil County. I tracked it down to the street level and people took cover.

Do you think Baltimoreans are wimps about the snow?Yes! Drives me nuts how bad they drive and how freaked out they get!

What made you choose to share your personal story of hearing loss? To make others aware of the possible solutions and to explain why I had trouble hearing and speaking on air.

How have the cochlear implants helped?One implant in the right ear. Without it, I can't hear enough to work or function as an on-air person. With it, I am back in the game 99 percent.

You threw out the first pitch at an O's game recently. What was that like? Fun and a bit nerve-racking. I wanted to get a few warm-ups first. But I only had one chance—and it was right down the pike!

After 35 years, what's your message to the fans?I am very fortunate to have worked in the profession that I love so much, but without the fine viewers who tune in, we would have a very different picture. So I can't thank them enough for their support and kindness to me all these years.